Pivot mechanisms are a common component of devices and systems that provide adjustable positioning of various objects within a three-dimensional space. Incorporating a pivot mechanism within a positioning apparatus can be useful, for example, to provide an additional degree of freedom or range of motion. As just one example, articulating arms that position electronic displays relative to, e.g., a work surface, often include a pivot mechanism that allows a user to pivot the electronic display about a corresponding axis. In some cases “pivoting” may refer to any rotation about a pivot or corresponding pivot axis, and/or may include other terms such as rotating, tilting, and/or panning depending on the context. For example, pivoting is often used to tilt a display (or any other object) up and down about a horizontal axis. Such pivoting is also used to rotate or pan a display left and right or side to side about a vertical axis. In cases where both tilt and pan are desired, or where other multiple types of pivoting are desired, two or more pivot mechanisms can be coupled together to provide additional degrees of freedom about additional axes.
In general, a pivot range can be considered as extending through an angle and thus measured in terms of degrees. Thus a pivot mechanism can provide an angular range of motion, i.e., a pivot range, about a pivot axis that is measured in degrees. In some cases pivot mechanisms may also include some type of mechanism to maintain the desired pivot angle against the weight of a supported object. Some pivot mechanisms provide a force that offsets some or all of the torque created by the weight of the object supported about the pivot axis. Such a force can allow a user to more easily move an object through the available pivot range.